August 2, 2011

Questions From Users of the Manual

Q: If one has a list of laboratory values, does one have to keep repeating the units of measure, eg, albumin levels of 3.8 g/dL, 3.9 g/dL, and 4.0 g/dL, or is once enough, eg, albumin levels of 3.8, 3.9, and 4.0 g/dL.

A: No, the unit of measure does not have to be repeated: albumin levels of 3.8, 3.9, and 4.0 g/dL is fine. The exception to this is for units of measure that are set closed up to the number or value that they follow, such as the degree sign or the percent sign. In these cases, the unit of measure should be repeated: 38%, 45%, and 53%.

Q: What abbreviation does JAMA/Archives prefer for adjusted odds ratio?

A: We prefer AOR.

Q: Is “data on file” acceptable in a bibliography or in parentheses in the text? I don’t see this in the Manual.

A: The phrase “data on file” is a little vague. What a reader who’s interested in more information might really want to know is how the author of the manuscript saw the data (and how, perhaps, the interested reader might be able to see it too). Something more granular about how the author came upon the information would be more helpful. For example, did the author learn about the information through a personal communication (and is that personal communication the “data on file”?)? If so, see 3.13.9 in the Manual for how to style this as an in-text references. Is the “data on file” an internal memo at an institution and, if so, does it have a document number that could be listed in the reference list?

Q: Would you hyphenate “quality of life” when it’s used as a noun as well as when it’s used as an adjective?

A: We usually hyphenate as an adjective and not as a noun.—Cheryl Iverson, MA